Universal charging device for the insertion of eyelets, rivets, hooks and similar by rivetting machines

ABSTRACT

A device for feeding eyelets and the like of diverse sizes to a riveting machine. The device has to elongated guide members disposed with respective straight side edges defining a longitudinal slot. The slot is disposed to receive eyelets at one end for passage along the length thereof to the other end. A support hinged on the riveting machine holds the device with the slot disposed for delivery of eyelets to a proper joint. Jigs received in slots oblique and symmetrical to the axis of the longitudinal slot join the guide members and are displaceable axially thereof to vary the width of the longitudinal slot. These jigs are actuated by spacers axially spaced on a rod having oppositely threaded portions that space the spacers axially as the rod is rotated. The spacers bear on the jigs and displace them relatively axially so that they move in the oblique slots and the width of the longitudinal slot is adjusted with a constant width along its length. The jigs are releasably locked in the adjusted positions thereof.

United States Patent [191 Alberto et al.

[ Dec. 3, 1974 1 UNIVERSAL CHARGING DEVICE FOR THE INSERTION OF EYELETS, RIVETS, HOOKS AND SIMILAR BY RIVETTING MACHINES [76] Inventors: Bocca Alberto; Pagani Mario, both of Via Farini, 43 Vigevano, Italy 22 Filed: Feb. 29, 1972 21 Appl. No.1 230,392

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 4, 1971 Italy 21328/71 [52] U.S. Cl. .Q 193/2 C, 221/242 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 11/00 [58] Field of Search 193/2 R, 2 C, 38; 221/241, 221/242 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 595,040 12/1897 Buffum 193/38 847,863 3/1907 Watts 221/242 1,399,057 12/1921 Heinsohn... 221/241 2,717,682 9/1955 Cadman 193/38 3,145,066 8/1964 O'Neal 221/242 X Primary ExaminerEvon C. Blunk Assistant Examinerl-ladd Lane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel .l. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams 57 ABSTRACT sizes to a riveting machine. The device has to elongated guide members disposed with respective straight side edges defining a longitudinal slot. The slot is disposed to receive eyelets at one end for passage along the length thereof to the other end. A support hinged on the riveting machine holds the device with the slot disposed for delivery of eyelets to a proper joint. Jigs received in slots oblique and symmetrical to the axis of the longitudinal slot join the guide members and are displaceable axially thereof to vary the width of the longitudinal slot. These jigs are actuated by spacers axially spaced on a rod having oppositely threaded portions that space the spacers axially as the rod is rotated. The spacers bear on the jigs and displace them relatively axially so that they move in the oblique slots and the width of the longitudinal slot is adjusted with a constant width along its length. The jigs are releasably locked in the adjusted positions thereof.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTELBEC- awn sum 1 0F 2 -FIG.2

PATENIEL m W4 sum 2 or 2 14min II i I FIG-4 UNIVERSAL CHARGING DEVICE FOR THE INSERTION OF EYELETS, RIVETS, HOOKS AND SIMILAR BY RIVE'ITING MACHINES This invention concerns a universal charging device for the insertion of eyelets, rivets, hooks and similar by rivetting machines.

Conventional chargingdevices are known wherein there is fundamentally a support which is hinged or secured to the frame of the machine and is provided with at least two guide members for positioning the eyelets or rivets at a point corresponding to where the punch on the machine is located. One single charging device cannot, however, adapt itself to suit eyelets of rivets of different dimensions. In particular, the guide members through which the eyelets or rivets pass, normally have a fixed setting and thus eyelets or rivets of a greater or lesser diameter than that corresponding to the setting, cannot be inserted by one single charging device.

Thus it is necessary for there to be a plurality of charging devices to match the types and the dimensions of the eyelets or rivets to be inserted. Not only is this uneconomical from the point of view of time but it also brings up, the costs. It is in fact necessary to change from one charging device to another every time a different type of eyelet is to be fitted and the need to have a number of charging devices has a considerable effect on the cost of the equipment required.

It is proposed, through this invention, to overcome the aforementioned difficulties and in order that this can be achieved, the invention relates to a universal device for charging eyelets or similar on rivetting machines, particularly for boots and shoes, comprising a support hinged on to the frame of the machine, provided with at least two guide members for positioning the eyelets at a point where the punch on the machine is located, a feature of this device being that the said guide members can be moved symmetrically and evenly along the support to suit the median displacement direction of the eyelets and, furthermore, that they can be locked on the said support in predetermined positions, since the means is provided with which to regulate their parallelism.

The characteristics of this invention will become more apparent from the ensuing description which is given as an example and thus does not represent the sole embodiment. Reference should be made to the figures on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 provides a front view of the machine complete with the charging device forming the subject of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the said charging device seen from the rear;

FIG. 3 gives a perspective of the charging device;

FIG. 4 indicates a front view of the charging device;

FIG. 5 is an AA section view of FIG. 2.

An eyelet punching machine is shown on FIG. 1 and this consists of a bedplate 1 on which a drive motor 2, an electric motor for example, rests. Through a belt 3, the said motor causes a flywheel 4 to rotate. The flywheel 4 transmits the motion, in a conventional fashion, to a connecting rod 5 and a crank 6. The said connecting rod 5 is also bolted in the customary way to a rod 7 which slides in the guides 8 integral with the frame 9 of the machine and carries at its extremity, a punch 10 suitable for inserting the eyelets; one of" which is shown as 40 on FIG. 5.

The bedplate 1 is also provided with a member 11 to support the die 12.

A conventional type of electromagnetic vibrator 13 is used in the charging device to feed the eyelets.

The said charging device has a support 14 hinged by means of a pin 15a to the frame 9 of the machine. Furthermore, it is provided with two guide members 15 and 16, one end each of which is located by the vibrator 13 whilst the other extremity adjoins the punch 10 and is provided with a lever 41 to stop the movement of the eyelets before they are actually fitted in position. The guide member 15 has two slots 17 placed symmetrically with respect to the transverse median axis B--B of theguide 15.

In particular, the slots 17 are oblique and symmetrical with respect to the median displacement direction CC of the eyelets to the slots 18 machined into the guide member 16. The slots 17 and the slots 18 are each superimposed over a slot 19 machined in the support 14.

Each slot 19 is parallel with the direction CC and its length is equal to the projection of the slots 17 or of the slots 18 in the direction C-C. 7

Moreover, the charging device has sliders constituted by the pins 20, each of which slides inside the superimposed slots 17 and 18 and in the slot 19. The sliders 20 which move inside slots arranged symmetrically with respect to the direction C-C are connected one to another by means of a jig 21. For this purpose, the protruding end of the pins or sliders 20 is threaded and carries, screwed on to it, a lock nut 22. The threaded ends 23, of a control rod 24, are screwed inside the jigs 21 so that the rod is supported rotatably between the spacers 25 integral with the support 14. In particular, the thread on the extremities 23 and that inside the jigs 21 is left handed in such a way as to make it possible, by rotating the control rod 24, to advance or repel the jigs 21.

The control rod 24, at the point where the spacers 25 are located, is provided with sleeves or collars 26 so that it can be moved and locked in predetermined positions with respect to the actual spacers 25.

The variations in the position of the control rod 24 particularly enable the parallelism regulation of the guide members 15 and 16 to be effected.

The charging device forming the subject of the invention also comprises the means with which to center the guides 15 and 16 on the support 14 and thereby prevent longitudinal displacements of the guide members 15 and 16 with respect to the support 14 itself.

These means consist of two pins 27 protruding from the support 14 on the side where the guide members 15 and 16 are located and these both slide in a transverse slot 28 machined in the guide members 15 and 16 along their median transverse axis B-B, of a length equal to the projection of the slot 17 on the axis 3-8.

29 on FIG. 2 represents a contoured protruberanceintegral with the support 14, designed to engage with awheel 30 rotatable around a pin 32 positioned on a support 31 integral with the rod 7.

Whenever the rod 7 travels downwards, it becomes possible for the charging device to be made to repel and, in particular, to move its extremity away from the area in which the punch 10 operates.

Thus the operation of the universal charging device described in the foregoing text is as follows: If the guide members 15 and 16 are both in their closest position as shown on FIG. 3 and it is wished to move them to the maximum opening position illustrated in FIG. 4, all that need be done is to cause, through the knob 33, the rotation of the control rod 24 which is free to rotate within thespacers 25.

Since the thread on the ends of the control rod 24 is left handed, the jigs will gradually be brought forward towards each other and then be carried to the position shown in FIG. 4.

The foregoing description is applicable when the guide members 15 and 16 are already parallel. Should this condition not yet have been realized, it is sufficient to free the control rod 24 from the sleeves or collars 26 and allow the guide members to slide between the spacers 25 until the required parallelism is obtained. Once the parallelism is satisfactory, the sleeves 26 must be locked so that they are next to the spacers 25 and it again possible to move the control rod 24 in order to bring the jigs 21 towards each other or to move them away from each other.

The advantages derived from the use of the universal charging device in question are that manufacturing times are particularly reduced since it is no longer necessary to have to dismantle one charging device and to fit on another for eyelets of different dimensions; it is also financially advantageous for a machine to be provided with one single charging device suitable for eyelets of any dimension.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for feeding eyelets and the like of diverse sizes comprising: two elongated guide members each having at least one straight edge wherein the two straight edges are spaced apart to define a longitudinal slot therebetween receptive at one end thereof of eyelets for passage therethrough to the other end thereof; means for adjustably aligning the two straight edges relatively transversely about the median longitudinal axis of said slot to obtain a substantially constant width for said slot along the whole length thereof; and means for simultaneously adjusting the position of said two straight edges symmetrically with respect to said median longitudinal axis .to variably adjust the overall constant width of said slot and to simultaneously maintain the position of said .median longitudinal axis comprising an elongated rotatable rod having one threaded end portion having a left handed thread and another threaded end portion having a right handed thread, means mounting said rod to said two guide members for rotation about its longitudinal axis and disposing its longitudinal axis parallel to said median longitudinal axis, first means receptive of said one threaded end portion of said rod and coactive with one portion of both of said two guide members for effecting symmetrical movement about said median longitudinal axis of said one portion of both said guide members in response to rotation of said rod, and second means receptive of said another threaded end portion of said rod and coactive with another portion of both of said two guide members and responsive to the rotation of said rod for effecting symmetrical movement about said median longitudinal axis of said another portion of said two guide members simultaneously with and identical to the movement of said one portion of said guide members to impact a constant overall width to said slot.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means mounting said rod comprises two spaced apart members each connected to bothguide members and each having a throughbore receiving said rod therein, and wherein said means for adjustably aligning comprises two collars each disposed on said rod between and abutting on one of said two spaced apart members and releasably fixable to said rod to prevent longitudinal movement thereof when fixed and to permit longitudinal movement thereof when released.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second means each comprises one oblique slot in each of said guide members at said one and another portion thereof respectively, the two pair of oblique slots each being disposed at an angle with and symmetrical about said median longitudinal axis and a movable member having two projections each disposed in one of said pair oblique slots and having threaded hole receiving the respective end portion of said rod and movable along said median longitudinal axis in response to the rotation of said rod to force said two guide members toward and away from one another.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a third guide member and means mounting said third guide member on said two guide members to permit movement of said two guide members only in a direction perpendicular to said median longitudinal axis.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means mounting said third guide member on said two guide members comprises one elongated aperture in each of said two guide members having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said median longitudinal axis, two pins each mounted in said third guide member and passing through one of said apertures to limit the movement of said two guide members with respect to said third guide member in a direction parallel to said median longitudinal axis.

6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising means for charging the eyelets in said one end of said longitudinal slot.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said means for charging eyelets comprises an electromagnetic vibrator. 

1. A device for feeding eyelets and the like of diverse sizes comprising: two elongated guide members each having at least one straight edge wherein the two straight edges are spaced apart to define a longitudinal slot therebetween receptive at one end thereof of eyelets for passage therethrough to the other end thereof; means for adjustably aligning the two straight edges relatively transversely about the median longitudinal axis of said slot to obtain a substantially constant width for said slot along the whole length thereof; and means for simultaneously adjusting the position of said two straight edges symmetrically with respect to said median longitudinal axis to variably adjust the overall constant width of said slot and to simultaneously maintain the position of said median longitudinal axis comprising an elongated rotatable rod having one threaded end portion having a left handed thread and another threaded end portion having a right handed thread, means mounting said rod to said two guide members for rotation about its longitudinal axis and disposing its longitudinal axis parallel to said median longitudinal axis, first means receptive of said one threaded end portion of said rod and coactive with one portion of both of said two guide members for effecting symmetrical movement about said median longitudinal axis of said one portion of both said guide members in response to rotation of said rod, and second means receptive of said another threaded end portion of said rod and coactive with another portion of both of said two guide members and responsive to the rotation of said rod for effecting symmetrical movement about said median longitudinal axis of said another portion of said two guide members simultaneously with and identical to the movement of said one portion of said guide members to impact a constant overall width to said slot.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said means mounting said rod comprises two spaced apart members each connected to both guide members and each having a throughbore receiving said rod therein, and wherein said means for adjustably aligning comprises two collars each disposed on said rod between and abutting on one of said two spaced apart members and releasably fixable to said rod to prevent longitudinal movement thereof when fixed and to permit longitudinal movement thereof when released.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second means each comprises one oblique slot in each of said guide members at said one and another portion thereof respectively, the two pair of oblique slots each being disposed at an angle with and symmetrical about said median longitudinal axis and a movable member having two projections each disposed in one of said pair oblique slots and having threaded hole receiving the respective end portion of said rod and movable along said median longitudinal axis in response to the rotation of said rod to force said two guide members toward and away from one another.
 4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a third guide member and means mounting said third guide member on said two guide members to permit movement of said two guide members only in a direction perpendicular to said median longitudinal axis.
 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said means mounting said third guide member on said two guide members comprises one elongated aperture in each of said two guide members having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to said median longitudinal axis, two pins each mounted in said third guide member and passing through one of said apertures to limit the movement of said two guide members with respect to said third guide member in a direction parallel to said median longitudinal axis.
 6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising means for charging the eyelets in said one end of said longitudinal slot.
 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said means for charging eyelets comprises an electromagnetic vibrator. 